


Being Penelope

by Kaunis_Sielu



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 10:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12982527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaunis_Sielu/pseuds/Kaunis_Sielu
Summary: You pretend to be Penelope Garcia to save her life





	1. Chapter 1

“Sorry sorry sorry!” Penelope says dropping down in her seat across from you. “I know I’m late again.”  
“Pen.” You laugh, “I’m used to it. Your job is crazy. I got you the usual.”   
“You are a saint.” She says grinning at you, she takes a long sip of her iced tea.  
“You okay? You seem more stressed than normal.” You’ve known Penelope Garcia for four years, ever since you moved into the apartment next to hers. She brought over cookies when she saw that you lived alone, invited you out with her FBI teammates, and the two of you met for lunch nearly every day. So far you’d only met her female coworkers but she talked about the whole team enough for you to feel like you knew them all. Just as your food is being delivered to the table a pair of men walk into the small restaurant. There is something familiar about the way they move.   
“Pen. Get your team on the phone.” You say quietly, the butt of a gun showing from one of the men’s pockets.   
“Wh-”  
“Trust me. Do it. Don’t look around. Act normal.” She pulls her phone out and hits a few buttons. “Tell them where we are and that the guys who have been taking hostages and robbing businesses are here.” You say in the same hushed tone. She speaks rapidly into the phone and that’s when the first shots ring out. People around you scream and Penelope looks at you wide eyed.   
“Ladies and gentlemen. Cellphones out and on the tables.” You shake your head at Penelope, and she shoves her phone into her bra.   
“It’s still connected right?” You mutter and she nods looking scared. “Breathe.” You remind her softly. You pull your ID out of your wallet and stick it in your own bra.  
“Open your wallets we want all your cash and jewelry.” The same man yells. People begin to do as he says, the other man comes around and paws through purses. You grab Penelope’s off of the floor and kick your own to her side.   
“Open the bag.” You do as he says and sure enough inside is Penelope’s badge. He grabs it out of the bag as several black cars with flashing lights pull up outside the restaurant. “Hey Z. We’ve got ourselves a federal agent.” You meet Penelope’s eyes and barely move your head ‘no’.  
The man grabs your arm and drags you over to his partner as the phone starts to ring.   
“That’s gonna be for me.” You say as the first man shoves you to the floor. The one called Z answers the phone.   
“What?” He listens for a moment. “We have an agent in here. If you don’t want us to kill her you’ll do as we say.” He motions to his partner and he puts his gun up to your head and leads you to a window. He shows them your face and your eyes meet the intense stare of one of the agents in a bulletproof FBI best. He says something to another agent and you know they’re trying to figure out who you are. He backs you away from the window and shoves you into a seat.  
“J. Find her gun.” Z orders from his post by the phone.   
“I don’t carry a gun.” You say calmly, “I’m an analyst so I’m not issued a weapon.” You don’t need one, you’ll probably end up taking his.   
“Everybody up. Stand in front of the windows.” Z snaps. You go to stand and J yanks you back down.   
“Uh uh uh agent. You’re gonna sit right here with me.” He rests the muzzle of his gun against your collarbone. The phone rings again and Z picks it up.   
“They wanna know your name Agent.” He holds the phone out toward you.   
“Penelope Garcia.” You say clearly.   
“You hear that Agent Rossi?” Hopefully the two men didn’t look at the badge too closely. You could pass as Garcia’s sister but if they saw the picture portion they might realize that they had the wrong woman.


	2. Chapter 2

“Why don’t you let some hostages go?” You say softly twenty minutes later. “You’ve got a federal agent. I’m better leverage than the kids are.”   
“Shut up.” Z snaps. “If our car isn’t here soon I’m gonna start shooting people.” He growls and a woman sobs. “I said shut up!” He yells. You’re going to need to make your move soon, before he starts killing people. He’s pacing back and forth behind his row of hostages staring out the window the entire time. The phone rings.  
“Agent Garcia. Go answer it.” J holds onto your arm and pulls you over to the phone.   
“Hello?”  
“This is Agent Rossi, who am I speaking to?”  
“Penelope Garcia.”   
“Of the FBI?”  
“Yes sir.”   
“Is Z willing to talk?” You look over at the man and see him glaring at you.   
“No. I don’t think so.”  
“Can either of them hear me?”  
“No,”   
“What’s your name?”  
“I came here with Maya Hagland. We have a standing lunch date.”   
“Put them on speaker!” Z yells, “I want to know what you’re talking about!”  
“I don’t know where the speaker button is Z. Agent Rossi just wanted to see if I was the target or if this was random. It’s just a formality when an agent is taken.”  
“J! Speaker!” He yells again. He turns away and as J moves toward you, you step into the range of his gun place your hands on either side. He tries to fight you for a second but you thrust your elbow into his gut then turn the gun on Z. You fire two rapid shots into Z’s leg.   
“His gun Pen!” You yell and she springs into action, kicking his gun away. You twist down and take his arm with you behind his back. Dislocating his shoulder the gun pops out of his hand and you hold it to his head. “Breathe wrong.” You snarl, “And I’ll kill you. Everyone file out slowly and with your hands up. You’ll be fine.”  
“Holy shit Maya.” Penelope is staring at you, you keep the gun pressed to J’s head.   
“You bitch!” Z snaps from the floor.   
“Oh shut up.” You respond as agents rush into the diner.


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m gonna need you to put that gun down.” The first agent says.   
“Morgan.” Penelope says.   
“Not now baby girl.” He, Morgan, doesn’t take his eyes off you.   
“Agent my finger isn’t on the trigger but until this man is in cuffs I’m not handing over the weapon.” You take a few steps away from the man and a different agent cuffs the man and you pass Morgan the weapon, butt first. Z has been arrested and taken out of the diner on a stretcher, the first agent you saw out the window comes over.   
“I’m SSA Hotchner. I should arrest you for impersonating a federal agent.” He’s even more intense up close.   
“But you won’t.” You respond handing him Penelope’s credentials.   
“Why would you say that you were an agent? Why risk your life like that?” He says roughly.   
“Because.” You take a deep breath, “She’s good. She’s strong but not trained for something like this. I knew I could handle it.”  
“Because it’s happened before.” He doesn’t even pretend it’s a question.   
“Sort of. I was a POW for four weeks. Special forces.” You say grimly, it’s not something you like to tell people, it’s something that Penelope didn’t even know. He nods as Penelope comes toward you.   
“Hey.” She says softly then hugs you. “You’re my new hero.”  
“Um excuse me baby girl I’m right here.” Morgan says causing you to smile.   
“Don’t be jealous Derek.” She laughs, “You’re still my Chocolate Thunder.” She turns back to you. “Where did you learn to be such a badass?”  
“I was in a very elite part of the military, I was one of three women. It didn’t end well.”  
“What do you mean?” She asks and you swallow uncomfortably then clear your throat.   
“Baby girl. She was a POW, honorably discharged and given some pretty serious award.” Morgan says softly.   
“Why didn’t you tell me?”  
“I don’t like to think about it.” You say quietly, “I get enough of the memories in my nightmares.”  
“Oh.” She says softly. She looks over at her boss who's staring at the pair of you, "You're going to have to come back to the BAU and answer some questions."  
"I know."  
SSA Hotchner runs you through the incident four times, it was something you should have expected since you did shoot a guy. By the time he’s finished the fourth go around you’re tired, frustrated and just want to go home. He leaves the room and you stand to stretch your legs, you walk the length of the small room. Ever since your capture you don’t like small spaces, you even sleep with your door open just a blanket covering the opening. You move toward the door, if they’re watching you no one comes to stop you. You pop open the door and take a calming breath, at least until SSA Hotchner comes out of another door.   
“What are you doing?” He asks gruffly.   
“I don’t like closed spaces that small.” You say quietly, you don’t like admitting weakness.  
“I’m sorry.” He instantly softens. “I read the report, about what happened to you.”  
“Please.” You mutter, you can’t think about it, it was literal hell. He looks like he doesn’t know what to do, “Can you,” You close your eyes, “Just touch my arm please?” Physical contact always seemed to help, even just a small touch. You had been alone in that tiny stupid room for so long. You feel his hand gently touch your bicep as you suck in a shaky breath then force it out. “Damn it.” You groan, he puts his other hand on your other arm and gently rubbing it up and down. He still hasn’t said anything, which you’re grateful for, you hate when people tell you to ‘just breathe’. The breaths are coming in short little gasps now, you’re safe. You’re fine. You’re safe. You’re fine. You reach blindly for him and feel the fabric of his suit jacket brush your fingers. You grasp it. You’re safe. You’re fine.   
“Penelope.” You mutter, a familiar voice helps, the stress of the day must have triggered something. You feel SSA Hotchner reach for the door, he knocks and tells whomever opens it   
“Get Garcia.”


	4. Chapter 4

“What do I do?” You hear her ask.   
“Talk Pen.” You breathe out, eyes still squeezed shut.   
“I don’t know what to talk about.”  
“Anything Garcia.” SSA Hotchner says.   
“I’m thinking about getting a cat. I used to have my friend Emily’s cat. Sergio. You remember him right? He’s the sweetest. You should come with me to find a cat. Oh my god you should get one too. We could have best friend cats. If I have to leave you could watch the cat I get.” SSA Hotchner hasn’t let go of your arms and you haven’t let go of his jacket. “I’m hoping for a black cat. I know they’re supposed to be unlucky but you know me, always breaking rules.” You smile, this is helping. “And of course I’ll name him, or her, something that makes no sense. Like snowball or frosty. Who knows. Maybe his name will just be cat.” Your heart rate has slowed and your breathing is almost back to normal. You keep your eyes shut until your sure that opening them isn’t going to set you off again.   
“Thanks Pen.” You say looking over at her as you release your grip on SSA Hotchner’s jacket. “Sorry.” You say seeing the wrinkles that you’ve created.   
“Don’t worry about it.” He smiles down at you, “You okay?” That’s when you realize that he still has a gentle grip on your arms.   
“Yea, thank you.”   
“I understand.”  
“It was the stress, from everything today.” You sigh, “Did you need to go over anything again or am I free to go?”   
“You can go.” He lets go of your arms then and you smile at him then hook your purse over your shoulder and head out.   
“Hey Pen,” you call as you walk down a set of stairs, “When are you going to look at those cats?” She grins at you.  
“Tomorrow?”   
“Done.”   
“Oh before you go let me officially introduce you to everyone.” She grabs your arm and pulls you to the small cluster of agents. “Everyone this is my amazing neighbor Maya. Maya this is Dr. Spencer Reid, Dr. Alex Blake and Agent David Rossi. You’ve met Aaron Hotchner, JJ and Derek Morgan.”  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Pen I’m gonna head home. Text me, let me know what time we’re going to go to the shelter.” You nod at the agents and as you leave you glance back to see that Agent Hotchner is still looking at you. You smile back at him and head home.


	5. Chapter 5

You’re about to climb the shelf to reach the right brand of hot sauce. Why do they have to put the shelves that high? You sigh and stand on your tiptoes again to reach for the sauce.   
“Maya?” That deep voice sounds familiar, you lower yourself to flat feet and look over.   
“Agent Hotchner.” You’re surprised, this is a small store and most people who come here are local. You’re pretty sure he’s not local.   
“Please. Call me Aaron.” He says with a small smile. That’s not something you’ve seen him do before. “How are you?”  
“I’m good. Just helping Penelope get a few things for the party she’s having tonight.”   
“Really?” He looks confused, she had told you the team was invited. What if she hadn’t invited her boss, oh this was going to be awkward. You nod and he continues, “because she sent me to pick up a few more things.” Penelope. That little sneak, she had said she thought the two of you would be a cute couple.   
“She’s so forgetful.” You say with a laugh, “we should make sure that she didn’t double up on anything. What’s on your list?” He passes it to you and you dig yours out of your pocket. You can feel him over your shoulder, his body heat radiating off of him and hitting the skin of your arm.   
“Looks good.” Aaron says after scanning the two lists.   
“Dad I got the cheese.” A young boy says as he jogs down the aisle toward you. Penny didn’t mention a son.   
“Perfect.” Aaron says with a smile at his son. “Hey Jack, this Maya. Miss Garcia’s friend, that I told you about the other day. The one who saved Miss Garcia at that diner.”  
“Nice to meet you.” He says looking up at you in awe.   
“You too Jack.” You say with a smile. “Are you coming to, uh, Miss Garcia’s tonight?”  
“Yea!”  
“Who do you want to win?”  
“Manchester!”  
“How come?”   
“My dads friend Miss Prentiss works in England and she sent me a cool jersey!” His excitement is wonderful, over something as simple as a soccer game and he’s practically about to explode.   
“Well then I should probably cheer for  
Manchester too then huh?”  
“Yea! They’re gonna win!”   
“Alright.” You laugh, “Let’s go Manchester.” Aaron laughs and passes you the bottle of hot sauce you had been reaching for. You give him a grateful smile and drop it into your basket.   
“Alright Jack, we need pop. Miss Garcia said to get your favorite kind.”  
“Pop is two aisles over.” You say helpfully and the boy races off. You and Aaron follow at a slower pace. As you’re rounding the corner a loud crash reaches your ears. Several loud bangs follow and you drop into a crouch. Not again. You groan as your heartbeat races.   
“Maya?” Aaron asks. He sounds so far away. “I’m going to touch you okay?” You can’t move. Your hands are up over your head and all you feel is danger. Run! Danger! Fight! Your head screams with every heartbeat, at least until his hands are there. He’s come around the front of you, you can tell by how his hands are gripping you. They’re gentle, sliding across your skin and to your wrists. He moves his hands slowly back up to your biceps.   
“Dad? Is she okay?” Jack. You have to protect Jack. Aaron’s hands run down to your forearms again, his dad is here. Jack is fine. You’re fine. You’re in a grocery store. You’re not over there anymore. A soft groan passes through your lips.   
“Maya, you’re safe. You’re here with Jack and I. We’re going to Penelope’s house for a party, we’re going to watch some soccer and Jack gets to meet Penelope’s cat. It only has one eye right? Leave it to her to get a one eyed cat.” He chuckles and your heart starts to slow back to normal. Your hands drop from your head down to the sides of Aaron’s forearms. You grip them, his skin is warm in your hands. He’s okay.   
“I don’t remember what she named it though.”  
“Davey Jones dad.” Jack says quietly, “Like the pirate.” Aaron has moved his hands back to your biceps again and with one last deep breath you open your eyes. Your grocery basket is on the floor tipped over, Aaron is kneeling in front of you, brown eyes gentle as they search your face.   
“Thanks.” You breathe, he nods then offers you a hand up. You take it and he pulls you to your feet. Jack hands you the basket with groceries tucked back in. “Thank you Jack.”   
“Are you okay?”   
“Yea. Sometimes I have nightmares about things from my past but instead of happening at night they happen during the day.”  
“Oh. Can they happen anytime?”  
“Yea, they don’t happen very often but luckily for me your dad has seen one before and knew how to help me.”   
“Have you thought about getting a service dog?” Aaron asks gently. Normally you’d be annoyed that he was butting in on your business but with a glance at him you know he’s just worried.   
“Yea, they’re really expensive and the list for donated dogs is long. I’m waiting but I’m still number 122.”  
“Holy crap.”  
“I know.”   
“How often do you have..um.”  
“I call them episodes.” You offer, “maybe once or twice a month. Compared to a lot of vets I’m really in great shape.” The three of you finish your shopping quickly and head over to Penelope’s together. Most of the team is already there, a monitor is set up and a woman with dark hair is on the screen.


	6. Chapter 6

The game is a lot more fun than you thought it would be the team’s are evenly matched and there’s plenty of action to keep you all entertained. They’re a fun bunch and since its Penelope nothing was too much. There are Manchester flags all over the apartment, she stuck stickers on each of you as you walked in the door and Jack and JJ’s son Henry both have their faces painted. The team seems to take you under their wing and accept you with no hesitation.   
“Drink!” Penelope says passing you a large mug of beer. “You have no excuse,” she says when you begin to protest. “You live next door and have no kids.”  
“Yes ma'am.” You say with a smile then take a drink. It’s sweeter than you expected it to be. “Hey Pen what is this?”  
“It’s Rossi’s. He makes alcohol.”  
“This is great.” You say toasting him he toasts you back with a small smile. You haven’t had much of a chance to talk to him. When you had walked in Derek had invaded your space with an arm over your shoulders. At least until Penny had complained, then he’d gone over to her, given her a smooch on the cheek then headed over to sit with JJ. Spencer had given you some statistics on soccer and the longest game until Derek had cut him off with a loud groan. Then he had gone to talk with Alex. Aaron was watching you more closely than you thought was necessary. You weren’t the only one that had noticed either. You’d seen both JJ and Penelope share a quick glance and JJ had raised an eyebrow at you. Since the attack the three of you had spent quite a bit of time together so of course she was in on Penelope’s plan to hook you up with their boss. He had planted himself next to you on the small love seat, mostly because that was the only spot left when you had sat down. Penelope had squished up next to Derek between him and Alex with JJ up against the arm rest that Spencer was sitting on. Dave had claimed the sole armchair and was throughly invested in the match, probably the most out of the group including the woman on the screen. You remembered Emily being a topic of discussion with Penelope for a while, you thought she had died but apparently not since she was on the computer screen. Manchester ended up winning the game. Derek and Penelope suggested that the adults continue the party at a local bar which both Alex and Dave shot down to protests. Spencer agreed to go while JJ attempted to find a babysitter.   
“You in Maya?” Derek asked looking at you with his brown eyes hopeful.   
“I don’t think so.” You’re not one for big, loud, crowded spaces.   
“Come on Maya!” Penelope begs.   
“Pen I really can’t.”   
“Yes you can! It’s a Friday night. What else do you have going on?”  
“No Penelope. I physically can’t. It’s too many people in too small of a space. I’ve already had an episode today I can’t have another one.” She stares at you wide eyed as that information sinks in.   
“Sorry. I didn’t know.” She says softly, “when did you have an episode?”  
“At the store. Some cans fell and they sounded enough like gun shots.” You shudder a little and Aaron’s hand rests on your leg. “It was over quickly but I hate when it happens. It’s worse in public.”  
“You had a nightmare last night too.” She says quietly. “You screamed at like 6 am. Then I heard you open your window.”  
“Oh.” You can feel yourself turning red, “sorry I woke you.”  
“You didn’t.”   
“I get nightmares too.” Spencer offers kindly. “Most of us do.” You see Derek, JJ and Dave all nod. “Sometimes you know how to keep them at bay, but other times it’s like nothing you do is good enough.”  
“Mine are always the same.” Aaron says softly from beside you. The look on Penelope’s face says that this is unusual for him to be offering up information.   
“Mine too.” Dave chimes in. “Ever since 1978 I’ve had the same dream.”   
“Mine change,” Derek adds, “they’re similar but never the same.” JJ nods.   
“Mine changed after Maeve.” Spencer says so softly you’re not sure it was him at first. You’re all quiet for a moment.   
“I’m sorry.” You say, “I didn’t mean to ruin the festive mood.”   
“Nothing a little dance party won’t fix!” Penelope laughs as she stands up and clicks on some dance music. She grabs your hand and pulls you up. You reach behind you and grab Aaron dragging him along to the open space by Penelope’s kitchen. She’s right, the mood was nothing a dance party couldn’t fix.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of that night was a blast. You danced for a couple of hours, not strait but the music was playing the whole time. They only reason you stopped was because of Larry, the annoying neighbor across the hallway, had come over and bitched you all out. It had been nearly two weeks and Penelope had informed you that Aaron had asked for your phone number but he hadn’t called. At least not until about 10 minutes ago. He had asked you to come meet him downstairs in fifteen minutes. You went down with five minutes to spare, he had said he had something for you but wouldn’t say what. So naturally you had texted Penelope who was staying oddly quiet about the whole thing.   
“Hey.” You look up from your phone to see Aaron coming in from the sidewalk.   
“Hi.” You reply tucking your phone into your pocket.   
“I’m glad you’re down here already. Come on.” He reaches a hand out but you hesitate.   
“Where are we going?”  
“Just outside.”  
“Why?”  
“I have a surprise for you.” He’s still got his had stretched out to you.  
“What is it?”  
“Nothing bad, and nothing that will set off an episode.” You look at him apprehensively and he grins. “Trust me. Penelope said you’d love it.”  
“So she does know!” You cry triumphantly, “she kept insisting she didn’t know what I was talking about!”  
“I threatened her with..stuff if she told.”  
“Stuff?”  
“Extra paperwork, filing, making coffee. Stuff she hates.” You laugh and take the hand he’s still offering to you then he leads you out of the building. “I had to park a little way down but it will be worth it.”   
“Okay.” You draw out the word as he leads you to the dark SUV. There’s a woman sitting in the passenger side and as the two of you walk up she climbs out.   
“Maya this is Lois Kerch. I’ll let her give you the news.”   
“Hi Maya. Like Agent Hotchner said my name is Lois Kerch. I work for an organization called ‘Paws for Patriots’. We provide service dogs for veterans.” You look at Aaron in surprise. How is this possible? You’ve been on waiting lists for months. “When Agent Hotchner reached out I immediately thought of one of our dogs that just graduated from her training.” She opens the back of the car and a dog stares out at you from a kennel. She’s a black dog, big brown eyes. Her tail thumps against the walls and tears fill your eyes. Lois let’s the dog out of the kennel, then says.   
“This is Stella. She’s a black lab, golden retriever mix. She’s been trained to sense when you’re going to have an episode and she will lean up against you, lick you. Whatever you need.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paws for Patriots is an actual organization that helps get vets the service dogs that they need. For more information and to donate click the link. http://www.patriotpaws.org

You scratch the dog behind the ears and she leans up against you. You look over at Aaron with tears in your eyes. You haven’t let go of his hand this whole time, it wasn’t conscious but your hand just felt natural in his.   
“This. Is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” You choke out as a few tears escape your eyes. You had to sign a few papers but Stella was already officially yours. She licks your hand as tears trail down your face and you smile.   
“It’s nothing. Dave and I just pulled some strings.” he says modestly. You kiss him on the cheek.   
“Thank you.” You mutter then grab the dog food and bag of toys that ‘Paws for Patriots’ left with you. “Stella come.” You call and the dog trails along behind you.   
“Do you want some help?” Aaron asks from behind you.   
“You’ve got time?”  
“Of course.” He grabs the kennel and it clangs loudly as he carries it into the building, causing you to laugh.   
“Do you need some help?” You call over your shoulder.   
“No,” he chuckles, “it’s not heavy just awkward.” You go to bump the button of the elevator with your hip when a black paw jabs it for you. You look down at the dog in surprise.   
“Woah. Good girl Stella.” The doors slide open and the three of you climb on, Aaron dragging the kennel in behind you. When you enter your apartment you drop the food onto the couch then open the bag of things that Lois gave you.   
“Where do you want this?” Aaron asks setting down the kennel.   
“There is fine.” You find Stella’s relax toy and toss it to her. Her tail thumps wildly against the floor and you can’t help but smile. “I still can’t believe you did this. I mean, I’ve been trying for months.”  
“Dave is a vet and knows how hard it can be and I know some people so we got it done.”  
“How much money did Dave have to throw at the charity to get them to bump me up on the list?”   
“He didn’t. He already donates almost half his paycheck to them.”  
“Damn.” You glance back at Stella, your dog, and can’t keep the smile off your face. When you look back at Aaron you see that he’s studying the room. “You’re profiling me aren’t you?”  
“Sorry,” he shrugs looking a little guilty, “it’s really a force of habit.”   
“Please, share.” You smile and lean back against your countertop.   
“Well, just by judging from this room I would say that you’re a very private person. You have a couple of pictures of family and friends but nothing from your time in the military. The art you have the most focus on is this one,” he gestures to an oil painting you bought from a flea market painter. “Which tells me that it seems chaotic but beautiful and that’s kind of how you see the world. Your main room here isn’t perfectly clean but lived in so I’d say that while you like tidy you’re okay with the everyday mess of life. There’s nothing here about your work and the only sign of your time in the military is someone else’s flag in the case by your tv. That tells me whomever’ flag that is you respect greatly and think about every day.” He looks over at you, “how’d I do?”  
“I can see why Penny calls you Mr. Boss man. My mom kept our house sterile so I like a little clutter.” You say with a smile. The two of you spend the rest of the afternoon talking and you find that you really enjoy his company.


	9. Chapter 9

It’s a few weeks before Stella has to work. You have that nightmare again, before it gets really bad Stella wakes you by nudging your arm. You loop an arm around her neck and breathe deeply. Your alarm clock says 5:56am, might as well get up. You climb out of bed, turning your alarm off in the process and Stella follows you, leaning against your leg as you make yourself a cup of coffee. You scoop her food into her bowl and place it on the floor, you keep a very precise routine. You get up, start your coffee, feed Stella then take the coffee outside with you while she goes the bathroom. Lately you’ve added something to this routine, texting Aaron. After the first four days of having Stella he texted you to make sure that things were going smoothly. Since she was a service dog you could ignore normal rules but that hasn’t stopped Larry from complaining. When Aaron had found out, from Penelope of course, he had texted you to make sure everything ended okay. It had but neither of you had stopped texting one another. It’s not consistent but the two of you talk several times a day, always starting with a good morning text before 7. No matter where he is you always seem to have a good morning by 7 which in your opinion takes some serious dedication. You’re standing outside with Stella sniffing around when your phone buzzes.   
‘Good morning. How are you and Stella?’ You can’t help but smile while you respond.   
'Good morning! Stella did some work today, woke me from a nightmare.’ She finishes her business and you’re happy to see there’s nothing for you to clean up. “Come Stella.” You say pulling open the door and heading up the two flights of stairs. While you’re unlocking your door your phone goes off again.  
'I’m sorry you had a nightmare but I’m glad that Stella helped. I was hoping to bring Jack over to meet Stella this weekend. As long as I’m not working will that work for you?’  
'Yea, I could make lunch. Are either of you allergic to anything or vegetarians?’ His response is so fast it’s almost like he had it written before you sent yours.   
'You don’t have to do that.’  
'You didn’t answer my question..’ You get completely ready for work before he responds.   
'Neither of us are allergic to anything.’  
'Lunch or dinner?’  
'Late lunch?’  
'Deal. See you Saturday.’  
'It’s a date.’ The word “date” makes your stomach roll with excitement. He is pretty amazing and you’re excited to get to know Jack.


	10. Chapter 10

Saturday comes quickly, which is strange. Normally when you’re excited about something the week seems to drag. Stella can tell you’re excited, she’s been watching you as you get lunch started and follows you to the door when you buzz Aaron and Jack up. You open the door and are greeted by the two smiling Hotchner boys.   
“Welcome. Come on in,” you say and Jack leads the charge. “Stella, play.” You tell her and she relaxes and goes to grab her toy. Jack follows and chases her around the room. Aaron shuts the door with a laugh,   
“Don’t mind my son as he tears through your home.”   
“No, no, it’s fine.” You wave him off, “my place is pretty durable.”  
“Lunch smells amazing.” He moves into the apartment and into the kitchen. “Is that homemade?” He points at the macaroni and cheese in the pot.  
“Yea. My grandma’s recipe, she was an amazing cook. You’re never going to want boxed again.”  
“Jack and I made dessert.” He says putting the plate he had in his hands on your counter.   
“You didn’t have to.” You say stirring the macaroni. You feel him move behind you and he puts an arm on the far side of you, trapping you between his arms. You smile as you continue to fold the noodles around on themselves.   
“It only seemed fair.” He says softly, his mouth close behind your right ear.   
“Could you pass me the salt?” He does as you ask and when you take it from him you make sure to, *accidentally*, brush your fingers against his. He gives you a knowing look as you turn away and back to the stove. Then those arms are there again, closer together this time. You hear Jack laughing in the background as you place your hands on top of Aaron’s then pull them around your waist. He buries his face in the side of your neck and you drop your head back onto his shoulder as he wraps his arms protectively around you. Your eyes slip shut and in that moment you know, Aaron Hotchner will always have your back.  
With him you feel truly safe again, and that’s something you haven’t felt in a long time.


End file.
